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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wax — to grow
  5. kid — child
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stand — to bear
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kid — to tease
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cell — a phone
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. stand — on your feet

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com